Lakers ready for regional tournament

Headed into the Region 7C tournament, which kicks off Aug. 2 at Young America, the Waconia Lakers are 23-4 overall after defeating the Minneapolis Angels on July 26.

In the 5-1 victory, the Lakers scored all five of their runs in the first two innings. To start the scoring, Chris Bullis and Nick Litfin drove in two runs for the Lakers in the bottom of the first. In the second, Ben Smothers and Ronnie Olson combined for three more Laker runs.

For the region tournament, the Lakers drafted Steve Mielke of New Germany, a veteran pitcher who throws a variety of pitches to keep hitters off balance.

The Lakers will first tackle Carver in the Region 7C tournament, playing at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 2. If Waconia wins, they play Sunday, Aug. 5 at 1 p.m. If they fall, they will still have a chance in the loser bracket, playing at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4. All games will be played at Young America.